Fast-start diets and quick weight loss can be appealing, but such methods are not likely to help you keep weight off for good. The way to permanently lose weight is to forget the concept of a "diet" and focus instead on a healthy lifestyle. Losing weight --- and keeping it off --- requires a consistent dedication to learning about the nutrient and caloric value of foods, making good food choices, and incorporating regular exercise into your routine.
Step 1
Lose weight slowly. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who lose weight gradually and steadily --- about one to two pounds a week --- are more successful at keeping the weight off. Use an online tool to calculate the number of calories you should eat daily to achieve healthy weight loss. Remember that no matter what your ultimate weight loss goal might be, losing just 5 to 10 percent of your body weight improves blood pressure, cholesterol and sugar levels.
Step 2
Improve your eating habits. This can be accomplished by becoming aware of your portion sizes, eating breakfast every day, and developing an eating schedule that can be maintained long-term. Eating slowly also will help you lose weight. A study published in the October 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism (see Resource 1), found that eating quickly inhibits the release of hormones that signal when you're full. An earlier study in the October 2008 issue of the British Medical Journal (see Resource 2) reported that participants who ate quickly until they felt full were three times more likely to be overweight.
Step 3
Keep a food diary. Record the foods you eat, as well as the calories and nutrient values. Use this to increases awareness of your daily caloric intake and to identify bad habits such as eating too many high-fat foods. For the first few weeks, keep additional notes about what time you eat, what you're doing while eating, and how you feel when you eat. Review the information to uncover factors that influence your diet. You might discover there are times when you eat for emotional reasons, or that when you're with friends, you eat twice as much as normal. This information can be considered when making diet choices.
Step 4
Exercise daily. In addition to burning calories, exercise strengthens your heart, lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol, helps maintain blood pressure, reduces stress, and generally contributes to overall health. The CDC says that people who lose weight and maintain the weight loss typically perform 60- to 90-minutes of moderately intense physical activity several days a week without exceeding caloric needs. Exercise can be broken up into shorter intervals, if necessary. It's just as effective to take three short brisk walks than it is to take one long walk.
Step 5
Monitor your weight. Be sure to check your weight on a regular basis so that you can immediately see if weight is being gained.
Step 6
Establish a support system. Whether you have good friends, a spouse or interact with a weight-loss support group, support for your weight loss goals is important. Your weight loss efforts will be more successful if you have someone to give friendly encouragement when you're tempted to overeat, or if you have a buddy to exercise with.
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